World Wine Production and Consumption in 2017

June 18, 2018

The Paris-based OIV reported that global wine production was 250 million hectoliters in 2017, down almost 10 percent from 2016 due to poor weather in the EU, which produced 141 million hectoliters or 56 percent of the world’s wine (http://www.oiv.int/). A hectoliter is 100 liters, 26.4 gallons, or 133 bottles, so world wine production was 6.6 billion gallons.

Italy produced 42 million hectoliters of wine, down 17 percent, France 37 million hectoliters, down 19 percent, and Spain, 32 million hectoliters, down 20 percent. Italy, France, and Spain normally produce almost half of the world’s wine. In 2017, their share of global wine production was 44 percent.

The US is the fourth largest wine producer, 23 million hectoliters in 2017, followed by Australia with 14 million, Argentina 12 million, and China and South Africa, 11 million each. Chile produced 10 million hectoliters, Germany, eight million, Portugal seven million, and Russia five million. Argentina and Brazil saw big increases in wine production between 2016 and 2017.

US consumers drank 32 million hectoliters of wine in 2017 and French consumers 27 million hectoliters, followed by Italy, 22 million, Germany, 20 million, China, 17 million, and the UK 13 million.

Average per capita wine consumption (persons 15 and older) was highest in Portugal and France, 51 liters per person per year or 68 bottles, and Italy, 44 liters. Americans 15 and older averaged 12 liters or 16 bottles, while Chinese averaged 1.5 liters or two bottles.

Global wine exports were a record 108 million hectoliters in 2017, equivalent to 43 percent of production; in 2000, only 60 million hectoliters or 21 percent of global wine was exported. Almost half of world wine exports are bulk wine, often shipped in bladders that fit within a standard shipping container. Wines are often blended and bottled in the country where the wine is sold.

Spain was the largest wine exporter by volume, shipping 22 million hectoliters or 20 percent of the world’s wine exports in 2017, followed by Italy, 21 million hectoliters, France 15 million, Chile, 10 million, Australia, eight million, and South Africa, five million. France was the largest exporter by value, sending E9 billion ($11 billion) worth of wine abroad, followed by Italy, E6 billion, and Spain, E3 billion.

Germany imported the most wine by volume in 2017, 15 million hectoliters, followed by the UK, 13 million, US, 12 million, and France and China, about eight million each. By value, the US was the major importer, buying E5.2 billion worth of foreign wine in 2017, followed by the UK, E3.5 billion, and Germany, E2.5 billion.